Vapor heating system



W. K. SIMPSON VAPOR HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 31. 192:.

1,408,478. Pawnted Man 7, I 2 SHEETSSHEET I- q. I & k

w. K. SIMPSON.

' VAPOR HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 31, 1921.

1 408 478. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

2 $HEETS--SHEET 2- Maw/777,16. i770ps 0711/ 5 WM 1 V7 UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM. K. SIMPSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HOFFMAN SPECIALTY COMIEANY, 0F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VAPOR HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. .7 Patented Mar. 7, 1922- Application filed March 31, 1921. Serial Ho. 457,254.

East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, hzwe invented new and useful Improvements in Vapor Heat ng Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates chiefly to a vaporheating system having means adapted and operative to limit the differential pressure between the supply pipe which furnishes the heating agent to the radiators of the system, and the return line which conducts water of condensation backto the heater, to agiven predetermined amount, said means being embodied in an equalizing loop, the operationof which is hereinafter described.- The invention may, however, relate to a vaporheating system not including said equalizing loo ne object of the invention is to provide means for positively 'separating'the air and water of condensation flowing together through the return line, permitting the air to freely escape-through a thermostatically controlled venting valve, and causing the condensate to return to the boiler.

Another object is to render more positive than heretofore the action of said equalizing loop.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to des:-ribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification- Figurel is an elevation showing diagrammatically a vapor-heating system of which the separating means of my invention forms a part, the separator hereinafter described being shown in section. v

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, showing the separator, the venting valye as used in an open system, and the equalizing loop. Figure 3 are 2.'

Figure 4 is a section on ure 2.

is a section on line 3-3 .of Figline 4-4 of Fig motion 15 having a valve 16.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional. view snrowing the venting valve as used 1n :1 closed or vacuum system.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation show ing-certain modifications.

vThe same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

11 represents a heater having the characteristic elements of a steam boiler. from the steamspace of which a rising pipe 12 leads. This pipe is connected with a steam main 13, which is of suflicient capacity to supply steam to as many radiators 14, as it is required to supply, each radiator being connected with the main 13 through a con- The main 13 is preferably slightly pitched downward away from the rising pipe 12. The water of' condensation in the radiator, together with any air which may have been carried thereto with the vapor, flows through an outlet valve .20, and return connection 21. to a return line 22, which is preferably con nected with the steam main 13 by means including conduit members 28, 23 23 and 23., the-member 23 being a thermostatic trap adapted to prevent the passage of steam from the main 13 to the return line '22. A dirt pocket adapted to'catch dirt,

sediment and scale is shown at 23 The return line 22 is located as high as is conveniently practicable above the level of the water surface in the boiler, indicated at 24, and is substantially horizontal, but is slightly. pitched downward toward the boiler. Connections between the return line 22 and the boiler are provided by the casing portion 25, of the separator hereinafter described, the upper portion of which communicates with the return line 22, a pipe 26 leading fromthe lower portion of the casing 25, and entering the boiler below the water 1ine24. A by-pass 27 is also provided, extending from the return line 22 to the pipe 26, at a point in the latter, preferably below the water line 24, the purpose of this by-pass being hereinafter stated.

' 28 has its upper end portion connected at 30 with the upper end portion of the separator 'by Figure 1, ma

casing 25. Said loop is connected at a lower point with a pipe 29 whlch, as shown communicate with the steam main. 13. s shown by full lines in Figure 6 the pipe 29 may communicate wit-h a boiler header 29 connected with the steam space of the boiler. As shown by dotted lines at 29 in Figure 6, the pipe 29 may communicate directly with said steam space.

The equalizing loop which is set forth and claimed in the application of George D. Hofi'man, filed July 9, 1918, Serial No. 244,103, is here shown and described to make clear the operation of the system which includes the improvements described and claimed herein. p

The equalizing loop here shown is constructed of a shell, composed of an upper section 31, and a lower section 31, and pro vided with an inlet 32 with which is connected the pipe 29, and with an outlet 33, which communicates with the connection 30. In the upper section 31 is a transverse partition 35, which divides this part into two chambers 36 and 37, the former having a relatively large capacity, and the latter providing a space into which theinlet 32 opens, and with which the interior of the lower section 31 is in connection.

In the partition 35 are twoitapped holes, in one of which is secured the upper end of a pipe 38, called the balancing pipe, and

in the other of which is secureda pipe 39,

called the equalizing pipe, of which the upper end rises above the partition to a point above the lower edge of the outlet 33.

The balancing pipe 38 extends into the lower end of the loop casing and its upper end is below the surface of an accumulation of water in the loop.

The equalizing loop, as more fully described in the above-mentioned Hoffman application, constitutes a means for maintaining a given pressure difference between the steam main 13 and the return line 22, and between said main or thesteam space of the boiler, or the header 29 -hereinafter described, and for equalizing in the return line, pressures generated in the boiler greater than such dlfi'erence, the construction of the loop being such as to permit flow of steam into the return line when the difference in levels of the columns in the two legs of the equalizingloop becomes more than a given predetermined amount.

I provide a means for positively separating air and water of condensation which flow together in the return line 22, said means having provisions for permitting air to freely escape through a thermostatically controlled venting valve, and for causing the water to return to the boiler,-the means of at its lower end, communicating with the pipe 26 leading to the boiler, an orifice 42 at one side of its upper end portion, com- -municating with the return line section 22, and an orifice 43 at the opposite side of its upper end portion, communicating with the section 30, between the separator and the equalizing loop, the orifices 41 and 42'being preferably internally threaded, and the orifice 43 belng preferably the bore of a nipple which is externally threaded to engage a union 45. i

' The head 25 forming the upper end of the casing 25, has a venting orifice 46, communieating with a thermostatically controlled venting valve, which may be of any suitable construction. The valve shown by Figure 2, includes a casing 47, having a lower head 50, provided with a threaded neck 51, screwed into the orifice 46, and an upper head 52, in'

which is a port 53, fiorming a seat, cooperating with a "alve disc 54. This valve disc is connected to a float 55, which is formed as a bell, open at its lower end, and guided by a valve rod 57 mounted on a spider 58, which is suitably secured to the lower head. When water enters the casing 47, the float 55 rises and closes the valve disc 54, so that water cannot escape through the port 53. lVhen the water recedes the valve disc 54 recedes from its seat. On the top of the head 52 is a casing 59, having a port 60, controlled by a valve disc 61, operated by a thermostatic motor, consisting of a series of expansible chambers 62, connected with one another and in intercommunication, the chamber at one end of'the series being. secured to the valve disc 61, and that at the other end being mounted upon a perforated frame or spider 63, which is securely mounted in any desired way. This thermostat is so designed'as to be expanded and to close the valve disc 61, when raised to a temperature approximatingthat of live steam, and to be opened when its temperature is lowered to that of the condensate of the steam.

The separator includes a deflecting -and guiding member, which may be cast integral with the casing 25, and preferably includes two cupped portions or hoods 65 and 66, connected by a neck'or web 69, a plan view of which is shown by Figure 3. The concave under sides of the hoods form guides 67 and 68, communicating respectively with 70, at opposite sides of the base or lower portion of the deflecting member. The hood 66 is provided in its upper portion with an auxiliary air port 71, located above the main ports 70.

Operation.

During the venting period. air and water of condensation flow through the return line 22 in the direction indicated by arrow 00 and are initially deflected downward by the hood 65, (the air immediately separates in the chamber 25 from the condensate and rises through the air ports 70. The relatively heavy condensate gravitates downwardly and asses through the pipe 26. into the boiler. n large systems, or those which have excessive condensation, such as would result from the use of.indirect stacks or blast coils, a portion of the condensate may 29, were to increase beyond the predetermined amount, the increased pressure "acting on the water in the pipe line 26, would permit the water to instantly rise and back up in the return line 22, and leave the boiler to such an extent, as to cause liability of burned or cracked boiler sections, and danger of an explosion. The equalizing 100 and the air separator cooperate as 1011 ows, to prevent this condition and liai ity:

As soon as there is an increase in difi'erential pressure between the steam main 13 and the return line 22, steam passes throughthe equalizing loop into the air separator, through the port or passage 68 formed by the hood portion 66 of the deflecting and guiding member. The incoming steam fills the separator casing 25, and passing through the ports 70, reaches the thermostatic member or motor in the venting valve, instantly closing the valve disc 61 on its seat and cut- ,ting off the system from connection with the atmosphere. By this action the pressure in the return line 22 is instantly increased, and the predetermined difierential between the steam main and the return line is restored, so that water is prevented from backing up inthe return line and from leaving the boiler. The above described action is instantaneous. v

As soon as the difierential pressure is restored, the flow of steam through the equalizing loop is automatically cut oil' by restoration of thewater seal on equalizing pipe 39, until there is need for a repetition of the action, in order to restore differential pressure.

To render the function of the air separator positive, and cause the described action to take place under abnormal conditions, the auxiliary air port 71 is provided, vthis port permitting steam to reach the thermostatic member of the venting valve, if conditions are such that water has risen in the separator casing 25, to a point above the bottom of the deflecting member, as indicated by the line y, 3 (Figure 2), and has, therefore, closed the ports 70 and prevented the passage of steam therethrough.

When the heating system includes a venting valve such as that shown by Figure 2, air is permitted to return to the system throughv the vent port 53 when the valve ,disc 54 is in open position, there being no provision for preventing'the return of air through said vent port, so that an open vapor-heating system is provided. The invention may be embodied in a heating sys- 'tem in whichprovision is made in the thermostatically controlled venting valve for preventing the return of air through the vent port 53, so that .a vapor vacuum or closed heating system is provided.

To accom lish this the venting valve may be provide as shown by Figure 5, with a check valve disc 75, normally held by its own weight or by a spring 76' in position to prevent the return or inflow of air through the venting valve, preferably by bearin on a seat at the upper edge of a ring 7 the bore of which forms the port 60, the lower edge of said ring forming a ,seat for the valve disc 61. Thecheck valve disc 75 may be guided and caused to seat .properly by a tubular guide member 78,

fixed to the disc, a guide member or spud 80, fixed to a cap 81, and entering the member 78, and w ng guide members 82 in sliding contact with the wall of'the'vent port 60. The ring 77 is externally threaded to engage an internal thread at the upper "end of the casing 59, and is provided with prevent an air-tight fit of the disk on the above the seat. The cap 81 is provided with openings 86 for the escape of air. To prevent the entrance of dust to the check valve disk through said openings, the latter may be guarded by fine wire f auze, or by porous material, such as loose air felt suita ly secured to or confined in the ca The operation of the valve spring 76 is unnecessary, but when it is desired to operate the valve under pressures light spring load is advisable.

It is to be understood that the words vapor heating system as used herein and in the appended claims, refer to a system either with or without means for preventing return of air through the venting valve, that is to say, to either an open or a closed system.

twill now be seen that my invention is distinguished from the prior art exemplified by the above-mentioned Hofi'man applica tion, by a separator communicating both with the return line and with the equalizing loop and constructed to o erate as above stated, and by a thermostatlcally controlled venting valve, communicating directly with the separator.

The separator and the'venting valve-col lectively constitute a vapor-heating system element which may be so modified that the only functions of the said element are to positively separate the air and condensate flowing through the return line, and to permit the escape of air, and revent the escape of water through the venting valve, the latter being closed only by an accumulation of water in the separator, there being no means for admitting steam to the separator casing.

The underlying principle of theseparator is that air and condensate flowing together in the return main 22 are givenan abrupt change in direction and deflected into an enlarged chamber 25 wherein, because of their different gravities, positive gravitational separation of the two elements is obtained- The relatively heavy spray or entrained moisture gravitates to the condensate s iown by F ig- I .ure 5 is the same as that of the valve shown range of vapor-vacuum heating, a

' eating with, the return line outlet provided by upward through the ports 70 to the outlet provided by the venting orifice 46 and neck 51 without 'carrying'with it enough spray or entrained moisture to cause an accumulation of the same sufficient to cause the float 55 to operate, as it would if water surged into the valve. thus made more positive in thatit can take care of a condition which it could not otherwise handle without the aid of the separator.

I claim:

1. The combination in a vapor-heating system, of a boiler, a radiator, steam and return lines between the boiler and the radiator, a loop between said lines having means to maintain a given pressure difierence between them while permittin passage of steam from the steam line to tfie return line when the excessof the boiler pressure over the return line pressure exceeds the given difference, a separator oommunicatin with the loop, the return line, and the boiler, and adapted to receive steam from the loop, said separator having means for separating the air and water of condensation flowing through the return line andan ainescape vent above said means, and a thermostatic Valve controlling said vent, said valve comprising means to permit escape of air, and to prevent escape of steam from the separator.

2. A vapor-heating system embodying the combination specified by claim 1, and including also a by-pass between the return line and the boiler, outside the separator, for the the pipe 26, the air passes,

returnof a portion of the condensate to the boiler.

3. The combination in a vapor-heating system of a boiler, a radiator, steam and return lines between the boiler and the radiator, a separator between, and communi and the boiler, and having means for separating the air and water of condensation flowing through the return line, and an escape means, and a valve controlling said vent, said valve comprising means to permit escape of air, from the separator.

4. I A vapor-heating system embodying the combination specified by claim 3, and including also a by-pass between the return line and the .boiler outside the separator for the return of a portion of the condensate to the boiler.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my vent above said and prevent escape of water 

